Indonesia police killed Noordin Top

17 September, 2009 03:25:00 editor

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Most wanted terrorism suspect in Southeast Asia

More than a month after the death of S-E Asia's most wanted terrorist, Noordin Muhammad Top was reported killed only to be denied later, Indonesian police Thursday said the terrorist was eliminated during a raid on a hide out in Central Java. 'This time Noordin was the man we killed', said chief of Indonesian national police Gen Bambang Hendarso Danuri.

Giving details at a press conference in Jakarata, Gen Danuri said fingerprints from one of four men killed during the shootout matched those of Noordin. 'In this holy month of Ramadan, the country of Indonesia has been blessed'.

When the police commandos raided a house in Solo, in Central Java, hours after receiving a tip, they had not known that Noordin was among the terrorist suspects there. About four hours into the assault, there was a large explosion from inside the house, possibly from a suicide bomb.

Sorting through the leveled house, the police found 440 pounds of explosives, an M-16 rifle, a laptop computer and documents. These documents revealed connections between Indonesian militant groups and Al Qaeda, General Danuri said.

He refused to comment on how Noordin and his associates had been killed.

Police created a sensation in August when they reported Noordin was killed in Central Java. But soon it became clear that the terrorist had slipped out of the hideout minutes before the police reached the place.

Counter-terrorism experts called Noordin’s death a major victory for security forces; they are, however, clear that his death would not end extremism in the region.

Noordin became South-east Asia's most-wanted terrorism suspect over the past decade. He became a symbol of violent jihad heading his own faction of Jemaah Islamiyah which believed that violence was a necessary part of the Islamist fight.

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